Removable tile mural

ABSTRACT

A removable tile mural assembly constructed in such a manner so as to appear to be a part of, or set into, a backsplash or tiled wall, but which is actually removable from the wall surface. The removable tile mural assembly comprises a substantially rigid base member to which is fixed on the front outer peripheral edge thereof a tile frame which defines a framed surface area. A tile mural comprising at least one tile is fixed to the front side of the base member within the defined framed surface area. Mounting means is provided for removably mounting the assembly to a wall surface. The tile mural may include rope lighting and/or the tile mural may be back-lighted.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of earlierfiled provisional application Ser. No. 60/573,976 filed May 24, 2004entitled “Removable Tile Mural” which is incorporated herein in itsentirety by reference, including any appendices or other attachmentsfiled therewith.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Tile murals in kitchen backsplashes is becoming increasingly popularamong homeowners. These tile murals may comprise artwork painted ontothe tile or the artwork may be fired into the tile itself.Alternatively, rather than painted artwork, the tile murals may simplybe a design or shape comprising various colored tiles arranged in aunique artistic pattern.

The cost of custom tile murals can be considerable. Unfortunately, whenhomeowners desire to remodel their kitchens, these costly custom muralsmay be damaged or destroyed, sometimes accidentally, but oftenintentionally because the mural has become outdated or no longer fits inwith the new, remodeled kitchen design. Additionally, some murals areseasonal and homeowners may desire to change the mural to reflect thepresent season. The ability to change-out one seasonal tile mural foranother is not practical if the tiled mural is constructed in theconventional manner by being grouted or otherwise bonded or adhered tothe wall surface.

Accordingly, there is a need for an invention that will allow homeownersto remove or change-out tile murals on their walls as desired, whetherseasonally, or during a remodel or design change, or when the homeownermoves.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a removable tile mural assembly that isconstructed in such a manner so as to appear to be a part of, or setinto, a backsplash or tiled wall, but which is actually removable fromthe wall surface. The removable tile mural assembly comprises asubstantially rigid base member to which is fixed on the front outerperipheral edge thereof a tile frame, which thereby defines a framedsurface area. A tile mural comprising at least one tile is fixed to thefront side of the base member within the defined framed surface area.Mounting means is provided for removably mounting the assembly to a wallsurface. The tile mural may include rope lighting and/or the tile muralmay be back-lighted.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an elevation view showing one embodiment of the presentinvention mounted to a wall surface.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the invention of FIG. 1 as viewedalong lines 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an elevation view showing another embodiment of the presentinvention incorporating rope lighting as part of the mural.

FIG. 4 is a detailed cross-sectional view of another embodiment of thepresent invention in which a lighting element is disposed between twoplates comprising the base member to achieve a back-lighted effect forthe assembly.

FIG. 5 is a side elevation view showing yet another embodiment of thepresent invention incorporating a recessed light fixture disposed in awall behind the assembly to achieve a back-lighted effect for theassembly.

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of yet another embodiment of thepresent invention incorporating a light box to achieve a back-lightedeffect for the assembly.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of yet another embodiment of thepresent invention incorporating a lighting element to back-light atleast a portion of the frame and at least a portion of the mural.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A preferred embodiment of the assembly 10 comprising the presentinvention is illustrated in FIG. 1. The assembly 10 includes a tiledmural 12 bordered by a tiled frame 16 fixed to a base member 18. Theassembly 10 is removably mountable to a wall 14, such as, for example, aceramic tiled backsplash of a kitchen as depicted in FIG. 1. Theassembly 10, may be any desired size and shape and the tiled mural 12may comprise multiple tiles or a single tile. In the embodiment of theinvention depicted in FIG. 1, the tiled mural 12 comprises six tiles.Around the per meter of the tiled mural 12 is the frame 16 which may becomprised of any desired type of border tile. Preferably, the frame 16is constructed using V-cap tiles for the reasons discussed in detaillater.

The tiles comprising the tiled mural 12 and the frame 16 may be of anysuitable or desired material, including, without limitation, ceramic,marble, clay, glass, plastic, concrete, plaster, wood, metal andcomposite materials or any combination of any of the foregoingmaterials. Apart from artistic or design considerations, other factorsmay effect the suitability of the materials used for the tiles,including, the particular location where the assembly 10 is to belocated (i.e., humid or wet environments, exposure to high heat, etc.).Further, depending on the materials, the tiles comprising the muraland/or frame may be translucent, transparent, or opaque or have anycombination of these characteristics. The tiles comprising the muraland/or frame may also include artwork painted onto the tile or theartwork may be fired into the tiles or the artwork may be sublimatedonto the tiles. Rather than applied artwork, the tiled mural 12 maysimply be a design or shape comprising an arrangement of colored tilesor tiles of different textures or materials or characteristics arrangedin a unique artistic pattern or design.

Referring now to FIG. 2, which is a cross-sectional view of the assembly10 as viewed along lines 2-2 of FIG. 1, in the preferred embodiment, theassembly 10 comprises a base member 18 that is sufficiently rigid tosupport the tiled mural 12 but is also preferably light weight tominimize the overall weight of the assembly 10. In addition to weightconsiderations, other factors that should be considered when selecting asuitable base member 18 including, the type material used for the tiles,the particular location where the assembly 10 is to be located (i.e.,humid or wet environments, exposure to high heat, etc.) and otherpotential uses for the assembly 10 when not disposed on the wall (i.e.,use as a serving tray, etc.). Accordingly, with the foregoing factorstaken into consideration, suitable material for the base member 18 mayinclude, without limitation, Plexiglas®, wood, steel, aluminum, plastic,fiber board, and cement board. Hardiboard® cement board has been foundto be a suitable base member 18 for most applications.

The base member 18, includes a front surface 20 and a back surface 22and an outer peripheral edge 24. The dimensions of the outer peripheraledge 24 of the base member 18 are preferably larger than the outsidedimensions of the completed tiled mural 12 such that sufficient surfacearea projects beyond the outside edge of the tiled mural 12 to receivethe frame tiles 16. The tiles comprising the mural 12 are positionedonto and fixed to the front surface 20 of the base member 18 by asuitable bonding material, such as an adhesive, grout, mortar, etc. Thetiles comprising the frame 16 are also cut and positioned around theperimeter of the tiled mural 12 and fixed in like manner to the frontsurface 20 of the base member 18. It should be appreciated that thematerial and manner used to fix the mural tiles and frame tiles to thefront surface 20 of the base member 18 may depend on the material usedfor the tiles, the base member 18, the desired appearance (i.e., whetherthe mural and/or frame is to be back lighted as discussed later), theanticipated environmental conditions for the assembly 10 when mounted onthe wall and expected uses for the assembly as previously identified.

As previously identified, the preferred border tiles for the frame 16are V-cap tiles, the general cross-section of which is illustrated inFIG. 2. As shown, the V-cap tile includes a lip or rim 30 that projectsbelow the bottom surface 32 of the border tile that is adhered to thefront surface 20 of the base member 18. As illustrated in FIG. 2, therim 30 preferably covers the outer peripheral edge 24 of the base member18 thereby providing a more finished appearance to the assembly 10 andproviding the illusion that the entire assembly 10 is part of the actualtiled backsplash or other wall surface 14.

In the preferred embodiment, the assembly 10 is removably mounted on thewall surface 14 by a hook-and-loop fastener connection 34, commonlyknown as Velcro®. Preferably secured on the back side 24 and around theperimeter of the base member 18 is a strip of felt 36 or the loop-sideof the hook-and-loop fastener. Secured to the wall surface 14 are matingstrips 38 of the hook-side of the hook-and-loop fastener connection 34.Those skilled in the art will recognize that the greater the weight ofthe assembly 10, the more surface area will be required for thehook-and-loop fasteners to securely support the assembly 10. It has beendetermined that two inch wide strips of industrial strength Velcro®around the outer periphery and in the middle of the base member 18 willsupport a 16×22 ceramic tiled mural. It should be appreciated that byplacing the felt or loop-side 36 of the Velcro® on the back side 24 ofthe base member 18, the felt 36 prevents scratching of surfaces when theassembly 10 is removed from the wall surface 14, thereby allowing theassembly 10 to also function as a serving tray or the like.

Rather than using Velcro®, magnet strips may also be used to secure theassembly 10 to the wall surface 14. In which event, the base member 18may be made of steel or other magnetizable material to which magnetswill magnetically bond or attach. Alternatively, the strip magnets maybe adhered to the base member and the wall surface 14 may be steel orother material to which magnets will magnetically attach. In yet anotheralternative embodiment, the assembly 10 may simply be secured to thewall by hooks, brackets, anchors, or any other conventional or wellknown means of removably mounting an assembly to a wall surface.

Accordingly, it should be appreciated that the invention 10 allowshomeowners to remove or change-out tile murals on their walls asdesired, whether seasonally, or during a remodel or design change, orwhen the homeowner moves.

The assembly 10 may also incorporate a lighting element—whether forbetter viewing of the mural 12 or as part of the design or artworkcomprising the mural 12. For example, in an embodiment of the invention10 as illustrated in FIG. 3, rope lighting 40 such as, for example,miniature incandescent rope lights or fluorescent rope lights, or lightemitting diode (LED) rope lights and/or “glow sticks” which utilizechemiluminescence, may be incorporated into the mural 12 around itsborder and/or disposed along the seems or grout lines between adjacentindividual tiles comprising the mural 12. Where electrical power isrequired for the rope lighting 40, such as, for example, with miniatureincandescent rope lights, fluorescent rope lights or LED rope lights, anelectrical outlet 42 may be disposed behind or in proximity to theassembly 10 for receiving the rope light's electrical plug end 44. Toimprove the aesthetic appearance of the assembly 10 with the rope light40, the electrical plug end 44 preferably extends from the back side ofthe assembly through an opening (not shown) in the base member 18. Ifthe electrical outlet 42 is not disposed behind the assembly, a smallnotch (not shown) may be required in the edge of one of the frame tilesto allow the power cord 44 to pass through such that the assemblyremains flat against the wall.

In another alternative embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 4, a lightingmember 50, such as a rope lighting, or the like, as previouslydescribed, may be placed between a first plate 52, preferably atransparent or translucent plastic or Plexiglas diffuser plate, andsecond plate 54, preferably having a reflective surface, such as, forexample a mirrored glass plate. In this example, the first and secondplates 52, 54, which together comprise the base member 18, arepreferably removably connected, so that the plates 52, 54 may beseparated to permit access for replacing or exchange the lighting member50 if the lighting member burns out, is damaged, or if a differentcolored lighting is desired, for example. It should be appreciated thatwith this embodiment, a thicker v-cap tile for the frame 16 may berequired to accommodate the increased depth of the base member 18 thatmay required by this embodiment. The tiles comprising the mural 12and/or the frame 16 may be opaque such that the back-light is onlyvisible between spaced adjacent tiles. Alternatively, and/or inaddition, the mural 12 and/or frame 16 may incorporate translucentand/or transparent tiles or tile portions alone or in combination withopaque tiles or opaque tile portions whereby the back-light is visiblethrough all the translucent and/or transparent portions of the mural 12and/or frame 16.

In still another alternative embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 5, themural 12 and/or frame may be back-lighted, much like a light box used byartists for tracing. In this embodiment, a conventional recessedincandescent light fixture 60 is mounted in the wall 14 in aconventional manner in a predetermined area over which the assembly 10is desired to be placed. In the preferred embodiment the base member 18is translucent such that it acts as a diffuser of the light from theincandescent lamp 62 of the recessed light 60, thereby providing moreuniform lighting over the entire surface area of the base member 18. Asin the embodiment of FIG. 4, the tiles comprising the mural 12 and/orframe 16 may be opaque such that the back-light is only visible betweenspaced adjacent tiles. Alternatively, and/or in addition, the mural 12and/or frame 16 may incorporate translucent and/or transparent tiles ortile portions alone or in combination with opaque tiles or opaque tileportions whereby the back-light is visible through all the translucentand/or transparent portions of the mural 12 and/or frame.

In still yet another alternative back-lighted embodiment, FIG. 6illustrates an embodiment where the assembly 10 is disposed over ashallow light-box 70 such as the type contemplated in U.S. Pat. No.5,899,012 issued to Crum, which is incorporated herein in its entiretyby reference. In the preferred embodiment, the shallow light-box 70includes a lamp 72, such as a florescent tube lamp, a socket 74 forreceiving the lamp 72 and any other necessary electrical components forproper operation and compliance with electrical codes, such as, forexample, a ballast 76 for the florescent lamp. The back surface 78 ofthe light box 70 is preferably reflective as is common in light boxes toprovide a more uniform light over the entirety of the surface area ofthe diffuser plate 80, which, in this embodiment is also the base member18 of the assembly 10. As with the previous back-lighted embodiments ofFIGS. 4-5, the tiles comprising the mural 12 and/or frame 16 may beopaque such that the back-light is only visible between spaced adjacenttiles. Alternatively, and/or in addition, the mural 12 and/or frame 16may incorporate translucent and/or transparent tiles or tile portionsalone or in combination with opaque tiles or opaque tile portionswhereby the back-light is visible through all the translucent and/ortransparent portions of the mural 12 and/or frame 16. Again, a thickerv-cap tile for the frame 16 may be required to accommodate the increaseddepth of the assembly 10 in order to cover the edges of the light box 70if desired.

In yet still another embodiment as illustrated in FIG. 7, if it isdesired to back light only the tiles comprising the frame 16, a lightingelement 50, such as a rope light, may be disposed under the border tilescomprising the frame 16. It should also be appreciated that, apertures80 may be provided through the base member 18 to receive a lamp 82 so asto backlight only those areas of the mural or to provide brighterbacklighted areas of the mural 12 than other areas of the mural 12.

Although only certain exemplary embodiments of the invention have beendescribed in detail above, those skilled in the art will readilyappreciate that many modifications are possible without materiallydeparting from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention.Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included withinthe scope of this invention.

1. A removable tile mural assembly, comprising: a substantially rigidbase member having a front side, a back side and an outer peripheraledge, a frame comprising at least one frame tile, said frame tile fixedto said front side of said base member around said outer peripheral edgeof said base member thereby defining a framed surface area; a tile muralcomprising at least one mural tile, said mural tile having an outerperipheral edge defining a mural surface area less than said framedsurface area, said mural tile fixed to said front side of said basemember within said framed surface area; mounting means for removablymounting said assembly to a wall surface.
 2. The removable tile muralassembly of claim 1 further including rope lighting disposed at leastpartially around said at least one tile.
 3. The removable tile muralassembly of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of said base member istranslucent.
 4. The removable tile mural assembly of claim 3 furtherincluding back-lighting means for back-lighting at least a portion ofthe assembly.
 5. The removable tile mural assembly of claim 4 wherein atleast one of said at least one mural tiles and said frame tiles istranslucent.
 6. The removable tile mural assembly of claim 4 whereinsaid back-lighting means comprises a lighting element disposed between afirst translucent plate and a second reflective plate.
 7. The removabletile mural assembly of claim 4 wherein said back-lighting meanscomprises a light fixture recessed in a wall surface over which theassembly is removably disposed.
 8. The removable tile mural assembly ofclaim 4 wherein said back-lighting means comprises a light box removablysecured to said back side of said base member.
 9. The removable tilemural assembly of claim 4 wherein said back-lighting means includes alighting element disposed behind at least one of said at least one ofsaid mural tiles and said frame tiles.
 10. A method of making aremovable tile mural assembly, said method comprising: providing asubstantially rigid base member having a front side, a back side and anouter peripheral edge, fixing a frame comprising at least one frame tileto said front side of said base member around said outer peripheral edgeof said base member thereby defining a framed surface area; providing atile mural comprising at least one mural tile, said tile having an outerperipheral edge defining a mural surface area less than said framedsurface area; fixing said at least one mural tile to said front side ofsaid base member within said framed surface area.
 11. The method ofclaim 10 further including providing mounting means for removablymounting the assembly to a wall surface.
 12. The method of claim 11further including disposing rope lighting around at least a portion ofsaid at least one mural tile.
 13. The method of claim 11 wherein atleast a portion of said base member is translucent.
 14. The method ofclaim 13 further including back-lighting at least a portion of theassembly.
 15. The method of claim 13 wherein at least one of said atleast one mural tiles and said frame tiles is translucent.
 16. Themethod of claim 15 wherein said step of back lighting at least a portionof the assembly includes disposing a lighting element between a firsttranslucent plate and a second reflective plate.
 17. The method of claim15 wherein said step of back lighting at least a portion of the assemblyincludes disposing a recessed light fixture in said wall surface overwhich the assembly is removably disposed.
 18. The method of claim 15wherein said step of back lighting at least a portion of the assemblyincludes removably securing a light box to said back side of said basemember.
 19. The method of claim 15 wherein said step of backlighting atleast a portion of the assembly includes disposing a lighting elementbehind at least one of said at least one of said mural tiles and saidframe tiles.